U.S. patent number 11,090,911 [Application Number 16/305,595] was granted by the patent office on 2021-08-17 for method for producing hud compatible windshields and universal wedge layer for a windshield.
This patent grant is currently assigned to AGC GLASS EUROPE. The grantee listed for this patent is AGC GLASS EUROPE. Invention is credited to Patrick Ayoub, Jonathan Vivier.
United States Patent |
11,090,911 |
Ayoub , et al. |
August 17, 2021 |
Method for producing HUD compatible windshields and universal wedge
layer for a windshield
Abstract
Method for producing a HUD compatible windshield comprising a
HUD viewing field (13), said windshield comprising a wedge layer
(15) made from a universal wedge layer (14), said universal wedge
layer (14) comprising a portion (12) with a thickness profile
having a monotonously changing wedge angle wherein said profile
comprises a range of wedge angles encompassing wedge angle values
adapted to different windshield models, said universal wedge layer
(14) having dimensions different from the dimensions of said
windshield, said method comprising the following step of: Adapting
the dimensions of the universal wedge layer (14) to size said wedge
layer (15), wherein said adapting is such that said wedge layer
(15) the dimensions of said windshield and such that the wedge
angle (W1, W2) at the centre (X1, X2) of the HUD viewing field is
appropriate for compensating the double images occurring in
reflection at outside and inside surfaces (8, 9) of the windshield
at the centre (X1, X2) of said HUD viewing field (13).
Inventors: |
Ayoub; Patrick
(Louvain-la-Neuve, BE), Vivier; Jonathan (Beuzet,
BE) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
AGC GLASS EUROPE |
Louvain-la-Neuve |
N/A |
BE |
|
|
Assignee: |
AGC GLASS EUROPE
(Louvain-la-Neuve, BE)
|
Family
ID: |
56131310 |
Appl.
No.: |
16/305,595 |
Filed: |
May 12, 2017 |
PCT
Filed: |
May 12, 2017 |
PCT No.: |
PCT/EP2017/061450 |
371(c)(1),(2),(4) Date: |
November 29, 2018 |
PCT
Pub. No.: |
WO2017/207248 |
PCT
Pub. Date: |
December 07, 2017 |
Prior Publication Data
|
|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20200276793 A1 |
Sep 3, 2020 |
|
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
|
May 30, 2016 [EP] |
|
|
16171988 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B32B
17/10568 (20130101); B32B 17/10761 (20130101); G02B
27/0101 (20130101); B60R 11/0235 (20130101); B32B
17/10036 (20130101); B60R 2300/205 (20130101); B60R
2011/0026 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B32B
17/10 (20060101); B60R 11/00 (20060101); G02B
27/01 (20060101); B60R 11/02 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;359/630-636,242,265-267 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
102013012648 |
|
Mar 2014 |
|
DE |
|
WO 2015/086234 |
|
Jun 2015 |
|
WO |
|
Other References
International Search Report dated Jul. 7, 2017, in
PCT/EP2017/061450, filed May 12, 2017. cited by applicant.
|
Primary Examiner: Thomas; Brandi N
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Oblon, McClelland, Maier &
Neustadt, L.L.P.
Claims
The invention claimed is:
1. A method for producing a HUD compatible windshield comprising a
HUD viewing field, said windshield comprising a wedge layer made
from a universal wedge layer, said universal wedge layer comprising
a portion with a thickness profile having a changing wedge angle
wherein said profile comprises a range of wedge angles encompassing
wedge angle values adapted to different windshield models, said
universal wedge layer having dimensions different from the
dimensions of said windshield, said method comprising: adapting
dimensions of the universal wedge layer to size said wedge layer,
wherein said adapting is such that said wedge layer has dimensions
of said windshield and such that a wedge angle at a centre of the
HUD viewing field is appropriate for compensating double images
occurring in reflection at outside and inside surfaces of the
windshield at the centre of said HUD viewing field.
2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising laminating
transparent layers, said transparent layers comprising said wedge
layer.
3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said universal wedge
layer is a universal PVB wedge layer, said universal PVB wedge
layer being initially larger than said windshield, said adapting of
the dimensions comprising a cutting in order to size the PVB wedge
layer, said method comprising subsequently: Laminating the PVB
wedge layer and the other transparent layers to form said
windshield.
4. The method according to claim 2, wherein said universal wedge
layer is a universal PVB wedge layer, said universal PVB wedge
layer being initially smaller than said windshield, said adapting
of the dimensions comprising an extension of an area of said
universal PVB wedge layer in order to size the PVB wedge layer,
said method further comprising subsequently: laminating the PVB
wedge layer and the other transparent layers to form said
windshield.
5. The method according to claim 2, wherein said universal wedge
layer is a universal glass wedge layer, said universal glass wedge
layer being initially larger than said windshield, said adapting of
the dimensions comprising a cutting at float level on a glass
ribbon in order to size the glass wedge layer, said method further
comprising subsequently: laminating the glass wedge layer and the
other transparent layers to form said windshield.
6. The method according to claim 2, wherein said universal wedge
layer is a universal glass wedge layer, said universal glass wedge
layer being initially larger than said windshield, said adapting of
the dimensions comprising a cutting to size at a step of windshield
forming wherein the glass laminate comprising the universal glass
wedge layer is cut to size before forming the windshield, said
method further comprising before the adapting: laminating the
universal glass wedge layer and the other transparent layers to
form a glass laminate.
7. A universal wedge layer for a windshield having a height for a
vehicle, with two outside surfaces, angularly spaced apart by an
angle, with at least an intermediate portion of the layer in its
height where said angle is varying, wherein dimensions of said
layer and of said portion thereof are defined so that somewhere in
said portion there is an appropriate value of said varying angle so
that the wedge layer can be cut and adapted to a plurality of
different vehicles, each vehicle requiring a different wedge
angle.
8. A windshield comprising the universal wedge layer of claim
7.
9. The universal wedge layer of claim 7, wherein the universal
wedge layer is larger than final dimensions of the windshield.
10. The universal wedge layer of claim 7, wherein the universal
wedge layer is smaller than final dimensions of the windshield.
11. The universal wedge layer of claim 7, wherein dimensions of
said layer and of said portion thereof are defined so that in said
portion there is an appropriate value of said varying angle so that
the wedge layer can be cut and adapted to any vehicle and any
driver of the vehicle.
12. The universal wedge layer of claim 7, wherein the universal
wedge layer is a PVB wedge layer.
13. The universal wedge layer of claim 7, wherein the universal
wedge layer is a glass wedge layer.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a method for producing HUD (head up
display) compatible windshields.
The invention also relates to windshields obtained by said
method.
DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART
A heady-up display, also known as HUD, is any transparent display
that presents data without requiring users to look away from their
usual viewpoints. Although they were initially developed for
military aviation, HUDs are now used in commercial aircraft,
automobiles and other, mostly professional applications. A typical
HUD contains three primary components: a projector unit, a
combiner, and a video generation computer. The combiner is
generally an angled flat piece of glass located directly in front
of the viewer, for example the windshield of a vehicle, that
redirects the projected image from the projector in such a way as
to see the field of view and the projected image at the same
time.
In vehicles with a HUD, the double images occurring in reflection
at outside and inside surfaces of the windshield are usually
compensated by including an appropriate wedge angle between these
outside and inside surfaces. Due to such wedge angle, the reflected
images from the inside and outside surfaces of the windshield
substantially overlap at the viewer's eyes. The appropriate value
of the wedge angle depends on the geometric features and position
of the HUD viewing field in the windshield, the position of the
projector and the viewpoint of the driver. In general, a constant
wedge angle value considered as the best compromise for the
different driver's heights is chosen and included in the
windshield. Variable wedge angle is also sometimes used to better
fit with the different driver heights.
Windshields with such a wedge angle are usually made by sandwiching
a wedge-shaped PVB (polyvinyl butyral) sheet between two glass
sheets. Such process is for example disclosed in document U.S. Pat.
No. 5,013,134. The problem with this type of process is that the
wedge-shaped PBV sheet is an expensive product, which impacts
significantly the cost of manufacturing of the windshield.
Furthermore, as every car model requires potentially a different
windshield and as the position of the HUD viewing field and the
exact wedge angle required differs for each windshield, the
windshield manufacturer ends up with ordering a broad variety of
PVB sheets corresponding to the specific features of every
windshield model. Such diversity in the features of the PVB sheets
which are needed is an additional source of increased manufacturing
costs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide a method for producing
a HUD compatible windshield which can be used for large production
of different windshield models at a lower cost.
To this end, the present application provides a Method for
producing a HUD compatible windshield comprising a HUD viewing
field, said windshield comprising a wedge layer made from a
universal wedge layer, said universal wedge layer comprising a
portion with a thickness profile having a monotonously changing
wedge angle wherein said profile comprises a range of wedge angles
encompassing wedge angle values adapted to different windshield
models, said universal wedge layer having dimensions different from
the dimensions of said windshield, said method comprising the
following step of: Adapting the dimensions of the universal wedge
layer to size said wedge layer, wherein said adapting is such that
said wedge layer has the dimensions of said windshield and such
that the wedge angle at the centre of the HUD viewing field is
appropriate for compensating the double images occurring in
reflection at outside and inside surfaces of the windshield at the
centre of said HUD viewing field.
By adapted to different windshield models, it is meant a value of
the wedge angle adapted for compensating the double images
occurring in reflection at outside and inside surfaces of the
windshield in said HUD viewing field for a given position or height
of the observer. The HUD viewing field is the zone of the
windshield wherein images are projected by the projector unit of
the HUD. The position and size of HUD viewing fields will of course
vary according to the vehicle and consequently according to the
windshield model.
With the method according to the invention, the windshield
manufacturer will indeed be able to produce a broad variety of HUD
compatible windshield models starting from the same universal wedge
layer, which will decrease the cost associated to the large
production of the different windshields models.
In an advantageous implementation, said wedge layer is positioned
in said windshield such that said wedge angle is decreasing in a
direction going from the bottom of the windscreen to the top of the
windscreen. In such an implementation, the thickness profile of the
wedge layer is indeed advantageously positioned because it better
fits with the different driver heights in order to compensate the
double images occurring at these various heights.
In an advantageous implementation, the method according to the
invention comprises a step of laminating transparent layers, said
transparent layers comprising said wedge layer.
In an advantageous implementation, the wedge layer is a PVB layer.
The PVB layer, typically sandwiched between two glass layers during
a lamination process, is then consequently made from a universal
PVB wedge layer. In one implementation, said universal PVB wedge
layer is initially larger than the windshield to be produced and
has consequently to be cut in order to size the wedge layer which
will be laminated with the glass layers to form the windshield. In
another implementation, said universal PVB wedge layer is initially
smaller than the windshield to be produced and has consequently to
be extended before the lamination process takes place. Such
extension of the surface of the universal PVB wedge layer can be
performed by stitching another planar PVB layer to the universal
PVB wedge layer, with the help for example of ultrasonic or hot air
welding.
In another advantageous implementation, the wedge layer is a glass
layer. Such glass layer, typically superimposed on a PVB
intermediate layer and another glass layer during the lamination
process, is then made from a universal glass wedge layer. In this
implementation, the universal glass wedge layer is initially larger
than the windshield to be produced. In one implementation, the
universal glass wedge layer is cut to size at float level on the
glass ribbon in order to shape the wedge layer which will be
laminated with the other transparent layers before forming the
windshield. In another implementation, the cutting can also take
place at the step of windshield forming wherein the glass laminate
comprising the universal glass wedge layer is cut to size before
forming the windshield.
It is another object of the invention to provide a universal wedge
layer to be used in the above described method.
To this end, the present application provides a universal wedge
layer for a windshield having a height for a vehicle, with two
outside surfaces, angularly spaced apart by an angle, with at least
an intermediate portion of the layer in its height where said angle
is varying, characterized in that the dimensions of said layer and
of said portion thereof are defined so that somewhere in said
portion there is an appropriate value of said varying angle so that
the wedge layer can be cut and adapted to any vehicle and any
driver of the vehicle.
SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and further aspects of the invention will be explained in
greater detail by way of example and with reference to the
accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 shows a typical HUD from the prior art with a wedge-shaped
windshield;
FIG. 2 shows a diagram representing the change in position of the
universal wedge layer portion with a monotonously changing wedge
angle profile 12 for two different models of windshields when the
method according to the invention is implemented;
FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 represent the adapting of the dimensions of a PVB
universal wedge layer to produce two different models of windshield
according to the method of the invention;
The figures are not drawn to scale. Generally, identical components
are denoted by the same reference numerals in the figures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a HUD in a vehicle wherein a wedge
angle 1, or in other words a nonzero derivative of the windshield's
thickness, is included in the windshield 2. In such HUD, light rays
3 and 4 emanating from the same starting point in an image source 5
are reflected by a flat mirror 6 and an aspherical mirror 7 before
being reflected at the inside surface 8 and the outside surface 9
of the windshield 2. Without an appropriate wedge angle, such
reflections would lead to the generation of two separate images at
the viewer's eye 10. Thanks to the presence of an appropriate wedge
angle 1, the HUD represented in FIG. 1 allows having an overlap of
these two separate images to form a single virtual image 11.
FIG. 2 is a diagram representing the change in position of the
universal wedge layer portion with a monotonously changing wedge
angle profile 12 for two different models of windshields when the
method according to the invention is implemented. The horizontal
axis of the graph represents the distance from the windshield
bottom edge. X1 and X2 represent the centres of HUD viewing field
for two different models of windshield. Due to the geometrical
features of each model of windshield and of the specific HUD
arrangement, different wedge angles W1 and W2 are required at the
centre of these HUD viewing fields in order to optimally compensate
the double images occurring in reflection. The diagram of FIG. 2
shows that the proper wedge angle value W1 can be placed at the
right location X1 for the first model of windshield while the
proper wedge angle value W2 can be placed at the right location X2
for the second model of windshield, and this starting from the same
universal wedge layer having a portion 12 with a monotonously
changing wedge angle. The match between the desired wedge angle
value and right location is obtained by an appropriate adapting of
the dimensions of the universal wedge layer. During this adapting,
the universal wedge layer is sized to get at the same time the
dimensions of the windshield and to have the desired wedge angle
value at the right location of the windshield.
From FIG. 2, it is also clear that said wedge layer is positioned
in said windshield such that said wedge angle is decreasing in a
direction going from the bottom of the windscreen to the top of the
windscreen. In such an embodiment, the thickness profile of the
wedge layer is indeed advantageously positioned because it better
fits with the different driver heights in order to compensate the
double images occurring at these various heights.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the wedge
angle, preceding and succeeding the monotonously changing wedge
angle zone, is constant.
FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 represent the adaptation of the dimensions of,
here, a PVB universal wedge layer 14 to produce two different
models of windshield according to the method of the invention. The
PVB universal wedge layer 14 is initially larger than the
windshields to produce and has consequently to be cut to size to
have the dimensions 15 of said windshields. The cutting is
furthermore performed such to get the proper match between the
location X1, X2 of the centre of the HUD viewing field 13 and the
desired value of the wedge angle W1, W2 at this position.
After such cutting, the PVB wedge layer is typically laminated
between two glass sheets such to obtain a three layers windshield.
The PVB will then at the same time have its safety and sound
insulation function to the windshield and will provide the proper
wedge angle for the implementation of the HUD as explained
above.
The method according to the invention can also be implemented by
starting from a PVB universal wedge layer initially smaller than
the different models of windshield. The PVB wedge layer is then
obtained by stitching to it, for example by hot air welding or by
ultrasound welding, at least one additional PVB sheet to get the
proper dimensions for the windshield and to position at the same
time the proper value of the wedge angle at the centre of the HUD
viewing field.
In other implementations, the wedge layer is a glass layer. Such
glass layer, typically superimposed on a PVB intermediate layer and
another glass layer during a lamination process, is then made from
a universal glass wedge layer. In this implementation, the
universal glass wedge layer is initially larger than the windshield
to be produced. In one implementation, the universal glass wedge
layer is cut to size at float level on the glass ribbon in order to
size the wedge layer which will be laminated with the other
transparent layers before forming the windshield. In another
implementation, the cutting can also take place at the step of
windshield forming wherein the glass laminate comprising the
universal glass wedge layer is cut to size before forming the
windshield.
* * * * *